Expansion packs play a significant role in anyone’s gaming experience with The Sims 4. With the game becoming free-to-play, more players are considering the purchase of an expansion pack to take their game one step further and make the most of the experience. But this isn’t a new development, and Expansion Packs and Stuff Packs have always played a significant role in The Sims franchise, and there have been a specific few reoccurring themes that players miss in the newest installment.
The Sims 3: Generations was one of the most popular Expansion Packs for the previous game, offering players the best opportunity to take their family tree one step further. With the Generations pack, you had access to new, significant events and abilities like throwing a house party as a teenager while your parents were out, attending a child’s graduation, or even hosting a huge wedding ceremony, it was generally the best way you could connect with your Sims on a deeper and more realistic way compared to base gameplay.
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But, when The Sims 4 launched, the Generations aspect was completely missing. There wasn’t an expansion pack to match what Generations presented, and these significant life events were missing from gameplay. Nevertheless, it’s arguably one of the most anticipated packs to launch alongside Sims 4, so when Growing Together was announced, an expected air of excitement started to bubble among the Sims community since re-living the joys of Generations was almost tangible.
Although not a carbon copy, Growing Together takes elements of Generations, like adding new depth to early life with new milestones and reintroducing a deeper relationship between family members, alongside an entirely new location called San Sequoia, where families are encouraged to grow and thrive, it builds upon the foundations set by Generations without straying too far from its core values. Yet, some players are worried it might be straying too far and missing some of the main reasons people love Generations so much.
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The problem is, there’s no way Generations could’ve been made for Sims 4 without following the same name and using the same mechanics, offering nothing particularly new and exciting, and still having the same appeal as an entirely new expansion pack. Of course, there are some holes in what we know about Growing Together which may come to light upon release, like the ability to host significant life events and celebrations again, but would it be as fun to discover the same features of an older pack rather than appreciate what a new one has to offer?
While it’s impossible to tell whether or not Growing Together will live up to the expectations set by The Sims 3: Generations, it’s clear that developers have been listening to players’ wants and wishes for a Generations-inspired Pack for the newest game. Until we can jump into the pack and discover exactly what it has to offer for ourselves and our Sims family trees, it’s best to appreciate what Growing Together could offer to expand upon our current Sims experience rather than focusing on what it misses from its predecessor.
